Improvement in branding-stamps



RO. C. MOORE. Branding-Stamp.

N0. 214,687. PatentedApril'zz, 1879.

@wary N. PETERS, FHDTOL THOGRAPH UNITED STATES.l PATENT OEEIGEc Y FRANK O. C. MOORE, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOSEPH T. NEVIN, OF LEE'I TOVNSHII, ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BRANDING-STAM PS.

i Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 214,687, dated April 22, 1879; application filed March 13, 1879.

It has been customary with herdsmen, whenbranding animals, to make use of metallic letters or symbols adapted to make the desired mark or brand upon the animal at one application. Also, as a substitute for such devices, a rod of metal has been used to trace or delineate the desired mark and when complete branding-letters are used a tracing-rod is often found necessary to complete or fill out parts of the desired mark. Such devices are open to many objections-as, for example, when complete letter or symbol brands are used, a

considerable number must be obtained; and in order to reduce the heft, so that, the herdsrnen may carry them about readily, they must be made so light that they retain the necessary degree of heat but a short time, and when a considerable number of animals have been corraled for branding these letters require such frequent reheatng as to cause serious inconvenience and delay. When the entire mark i or brand is traced with a heated rod, great difficulty is experienced in giving such mark proper shape.

My improved branding-iron is designed to obviate these and other like objections, and is constructed as follows: A piece of iron, preferably cast, is given aconcavo-convex form in cross-section, so as to furnish a-curved branding-edge, a, the form of this curve approximating, by preference, a half-circle. One side of this iron is extended, as at B, so as to furnish an extended straight or bar brandingedge, b.

The distribution of metal in the two parts A and B is, by preference, such as to give comparatively thin branding-edges, with the thickness gradually increasing upward and inward, so that sufficient body of metal may be obtained for retaining heat without unnecessarily increasing the weight.

Instead of making the whole iron of uniform length, I prefer to extend one side, B, as before described, and make the depth and thickness of the two parts A and B approximately the same, so as to retain even temperature and economize weight.

The two edges c and b are connected by a rounded corner, c, and the short end, C, may be left in the form shown, or it may be given other form, as desired.

Any suitable handle, H, may be employed, by which to manipulate the iron.

In using my improved branding-:iron it is heated to the desired degree, and the curved edge a applied to form the curved part of the desired letter, symbol, or mark. The bar-edge b is applied to form the long or extended straight part, while the curved or rounded corner c may be employed to fill out, by tracing,any breaks or omissions caused by unevenness in the form of the animal, or otherwise, and it may also be employed to form short or irregular parts of the mark or symbol.

.Ifoecasion should require-as, for example, in

forming the letter G, the edge or end C may also be used.

By means of this device all the letters of the alphabet can be readily and accurately formed, as wellas a wide range of 'other symbols, monograms, or proprietary marks 5 and while the device is so formed as to retain heat a considerable time it is yet comparatively light, and can be readily carried by herdsmen and used as occasion may require.

It is not essential that the corner connecti the edge a and end (l may be rounded for trac-V ing purposes.

I claim herein as'my inventionl. A branding-iron having a curved branding-edge, a, and an extended straight branding-edge, b, the thickness of the metal decreasing toward suc-h edges, substantially as set forth.

2. A branding-iron having a curved branding-edge, a, a straight or bar branding-edge, toward the branding-edges, substantially asY b, and rounded tracil'ig-corner c, substantially set forth.

its described. In ltestimony whereof I have hereunto set 3. The branding-iron AB, haviugzt coucztvomy hand.

convex form in cross-section,with curved branding-edge 1.,straight or bar branding-edge b, FRANK 0 C' MOORE' und rounded tracing-corner o, amd the parts A Witnesses: and. B having substantially equal depth and R. H. WHITTLESEY,

thickness of metal, such thickness decreasing C. L. PARKER. 

